At first, I want to apologize because Bound For Glory Pre-Show took place not the following week as I was announcing, but a few hours after my review was online. And I had absolutely no clue about that as it was announced a few minutes before it aired (you can watch it here). The card is now obviously complete, as 2 more matches were announced during pre-show. But there’s one last IMPACT until Bound for Glory and, of course, a huge part of it is going to be dedicated to it. But action is on the menu too. This week we head to Japan and Canada again with Moose, Allie, Sienna, and Rosemary. IMPACT Global Champion Eli Drake and LAX will team up against IMPACT Tag Team Champions oVe and Johnny Impact. And the 6 X-Division competitors involved in the title match on Sunday will square off too. So let’s get ready for some action… 

This week on Impact Wrestling is brought to you by “Doctor Frenchy” Steph.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_PIQhRvqoI]

The show opened with a recap on the rivalry between Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary that led to the Red Wedding match this Sunday.

From BCW in Canada, Rosemary and Allie vs. Sienna and KC Spinelli

Highlights of a Border City Wrestling match. Spinelli and Sienna were teaming up on Allie, who countered with a crossbody on both. A tagged in Rosemary did the same from the top rope. Rosemary connected with a splash in the corner and a side suplex on Spinelli. Rosemary tried to go on top again, but Spinelli yanked her down and hit some elbows. Rosemary fought back with ground and pound and tossed Spinelli into the corner. She tried to charge but missed and Spinelli connected with a dropkick.

Sienna in went for back and forth, hit a Samoan drop and a kick to the chest. Rosemary went on creepy mode and both women loaded a high kick and neutralized each other. Both Allie and Spinelli got tagged in. Allie stroke first, Spinelli rallied with a drop, kicked Sienna instead of Allie who hit a codebreaker on Sienna. Rosemary followed with a suplex. Allie got the pin. Nice team, nice match, nice moves.

American “Talk” Team

After a recap of how we got to King Mo and Lashley vs. Moose and Stephan Bonnar in at Six Sides of Steel Match at Bound for Glory, Dan Lambert and the entire American Top Team came to the ring. Lambert spoke a lot to say Moose and Bonnar were just loud-mouths and not fighters. He told the crowd once wrestling is exposed, fans stop coming, and then wrestling is going away. What?

Recap of the Grado- Joseph Park situation that led to the Monsters Ball match against Abyss. Someone is going to be back in the UK very soon…

From NOAH in Japan, Moose and Yuji Okabayashi vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima and Masa Kitamiya

Highlights again from NOAH Great Voyage 2017 Vol. 2. Moose got kicked a few times but that didn’t make him move. And then attacked with a top rope splash and a running drop kick in the corner. Kitamiya also had to suffer from strikes and kicks. Moose tagged Okabayashi in but their opponents teamed up to bring Yuji down. Moose came back to connect with a running kick into a brainbuster on Nakajima. Okabayashi went back to hit a big splash off the top rope for the win. Why just highlights, the match was a 15-minutes interesting bout…

The Bandana pact

Eli Drake and Chris Adonis visited the LAX Lair because they had to talk. Adonis brought guacamole and chips, Drake a red bandana. The Champion talked to Konnan about getting rid of Johnny Impact and oVe at the same time and together so they won’t even make it at Bound for Glory. Konnan agreed for one night only. I don’t know who really made a pact with the devil in this situation…

Recap of the 5150 Street Fight match between oVe and LAX and highlights on 6 wrestlers involved in the X-Division match. oVe said they’ve been in plenty of street fights, so they aren’t worried. Matt Sydal said he has always wanted to be the champion since the division started. Trevor Lee said he is the title…

From The IMPACT Zone, Trevor Lee (w/ Andrew Everett and Caleb Konley) vs. Dezmond Xavier vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Petey Williams vs. Matt Sydal vs. Garza Jr.

A whirlwind of action that let me think the X-Division match on Sunday would probably be the match of the night… The title was not on the line but action was everywhere. Everett and Konley helped Lee attack Dutt on the floor while in the ring Garza Jr. didn’t connect on Williams with a second rope moonsault. So Garza pulled his pants off (my favourite moment of the show…) as Williams dove to the outside and Xavier humped and dropped Garza. Sydal rushed to hit a big kick on Xavier followed by a standing moonsault and a running dropkick. Trevor Lee stopped Sydal momentum, Dutt came in big fight between the two. Sydal attacked Lee with spinning kicks while Garza was yanked on the outside by Everett and Konley.  

Back from break, Lee was beating down Sydal but Dutt stroke with a hurricanrana. Dutt connected with a second rope moonsault on a stack of lying bodies in the ring. Williams went for the Canadian Destroyer, but Garza picked him up, then caught Xavier up on his shoulders and hit a fantastic powerbomb/body slam combo. Williams finally landed a Canadian Destroyer on Sydal but Xavier broke the pin. Xavier, in a moment of glory, then dove out of the ring after a handspring rolling flip in the ring and landed on his feet (amazing…) Dutt tried to fly too, Everett and Konley stopped him so Lee was able to powerbomb him. Lee didn’t see Xavier come back and connect with a nasty flipping kick to the back of his head as The 2017 Super X-Cup winner earned the win. Interesting winner just a few days before Bound for Glory

Recap of the war between Team Impact and Team AAA and the Three-Way Knockouts match. Storm wanted to get rid of disrespectful outsiders when Texano demanded it. Gail Kim wanted another title, Allie said she earned it and Sienna confirmed she will come as the Champ and leave as the Champ.

Gail Kim’s last appearance on Impact Zone?

JB welcomed the first-ever Knockouts Champion, a title Gail Kim won 10 years ago at Bound for Glory, a pioneer and the first female Hall of Famer to the ring. Borash recalled it would be Kim last Bound for Glory. She reminded the crowd of her dream to become Champion again. Even if Allie is Canadian and a friend, they won’t be on Sunday in the ring. As far as Sienna was concerned, Gail Kim said she planned on bringing the title back where it first started.

Recap of the whole Bound for Glory line-up and words from Eli Drake claiming he will make history on Sunday.

From The IMPACT Zone, LAX (Ortiz and Santana w/ Konnan and Diamanté) and Global Champion Eli Drake (w/ Chris Adonis) vs. World Tag Team Champions oVe and Johnny Impact 

This was a brawl and a 6 vs. 3 handicap match in a way. Johnny Impact was not in the ring yet oVe and LAX were fighting at ringside, helped by Chris Adonis. Drake was hiding on the stage, title in hands, so when Impact entered, he attacked him with the belt. Drake hammered johnny to the ring along the ramp. Chaos was in full mode as the bell wasn’t rung yet. But Johnny out of nowhere headed to the top rope and hit a beautiful corkscrew flip on all his opponents outside.

Back from break, Johnny and Ortiz were in the ring. oVe joined the party holding Ortiz up so Johnny could superkick and the brothers slam him to the mat. Jake Crist was tagged in but quickly got powerbombed by Ortiz. Drake entered to kick Jake, ground his face on the second rope while Santana was coming for cheap kicks as the referee was containing Drake. Santana in, side suplex with Ortiz who came in again with a stalled suplex. Nice teamwork from Ortiz and Santana who continued with an assisted suplex. Drake came back and stomped Jake Crist.

After minutes of beat down, Jake Crist finally got some momentum with a high crossbody off the top rope, tagged in Johnny, who attacked both LAX members. Everyone started to take out everyone, Jake Crist flipped over the top rope on Ortiz while Johnny hit a sunset flip on Santana for the win. But it was not over… Santana attacked Johnny and left him in the hands-on Drake and Adonis while LAX and oVe were brawling along the ramp and then backstage.

In the ring, Drake hit a low blow kick to Johnny and ripped off the turnbuckle pads to make Johnny suffer. Drake whipped him hard into the exposed corner. Adonis grabbed a box cutter and cut away the padding of the ring mat, rolled it back to expose the wood flooring. Drake then hit the Gravy Train on the exposed floor, Johnny was in a lot of pain. Drake then held the title in front of Johnny’s face and yelled at him: “I’m the only one to hold the title! It’s just a fact of life.” We’ll see that on Sunday…

Bound for Glory is going to be epic. This episode confirmed the strong build-up of the last weeks was efficient. Many expectations and questions are rushing as we’re now a few days for the PPV. Who will be the Champions next week? Where is IMPACT Wrestling going for the upcoming weeks? See you next Friday…  

Bound for Glory final card 

IMPACT Global World Championship match: Eli Drake (c) vs. Johnny Impact

IMPACT Knockouts Championship Three-Way match: Sienna (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Allie (as Taryn Terrell and IMPACT parted ways, the Four-Way match has become a Three-Way one)

IMPACT World Tag Team Championship 5150 Street Fight: oVe (Dave Crist & Jake Crist) (c) vs. LAX (Ortiz & Santana w/ Konnan, Homicide, and Diamanté)

Monster’s Ball match: Abyss (w/ Father James Mitchell) vs. Grado. If Grado loses, his United States work visa is terminated and he must leave the U.S. forever.

First Blood match: Taya Valkyrie vs. Rosemary

Six Sides Of Steel match: Lashley & King Mo vs. Moose & Stephan Bonnar

* Six-Men Tag Team match: Team AAA (Pagano, Texano and El Hijo del Fantasma) vs. Team IMPACT (James Storm, Ethan Carter III, and Eddie Edwards)

* IMPACT X-Division Championship Six-Way match: Trevor Lee (c) vs. Petey Williams vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Matt Sydal vs. Garza Jr. vs Dezmond Xavier

The return of Alberto El Patron

* Global Forged series winner Hakim Zane in action (IMPACT did a series on YouTube over the last few weeks, hosted by Scott D’Amore, to find a new star for the company)

No news on a possible kick-off match. After a bit of history with 12 years of Bound for Glory, don’t miss this weekend the special Bound for Glory preview with the full card’s stakes and the Frenchy predictions. And, of course, the results and review on Monday night…

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling

By Steph Franchomme

News, Reviews, Social Media Editor, Impact Wrestling Reviewer, Interviewer Well, call me The Boss... And French...